Internet Safety Tips

Here, we present the ten commandments of Internet safety, which will protect your identity and personal data on the world wide web.

Omkar Phatak

Last Updated: Feb 8, 2019

The generation which grew up with the rise of Internet in the 90s, got introduced to it at an age, when they were careful and mature enough to handle its impact. However, today, five-year olds start browsing the Internet and searches almost every single thing that comes to their monstrously curious mind.

There was a time when you could control the rate at which your child got exposed to the real world, but that is sadly, no longer the case. Divulging personal information on the Internet can put a person's life in jeopardy and therefore, you must provide guidelines to any novice who is accessing the cyber world for the first time.

Tips For Kids and Adults

Having the world at our fingertips in the form of Internet has its pros and cons. While you get access to an unlimited store of information, you also put your own privacy and data at risk.

There are thousands of malicious computer viruses that can invade your computer system and steal your data, if you do not have an antivirus software program installed. Here are some safety tips for parents and children, that will protect your privacy and data.

Thou Shalt Not Share Personal Information

Do not share your name, address, social security number, phone number, and other such personal details on public forums on the Internet.

You don't know how your personal information will be used by third parties. Hence it is best that you withhold such information.

Thou Shalt Avoid Talking to Strangers

Children are advised to be suspicious of any strangers that they meet in chat rooms and social networking sites.

Avoid talking to strangers and do not give out any personal details. You don't know what the intentions of a person at the other end of the line are. Would you give out any personal information to a man whom you meet on the street? Similarly, avoid talking to strangers on the Internet.

Thou Shalt Avoid Sharing Pictures

Never share your pictures and home videos on any public forums or website on the Internet. These pictures can be used for nefarious purposes. So, do not share your personal photos or videos on any portal on the Internet. And if you do share them on sites like Facebook, make sure that your privacy settings are appropriately enabled.

Thou Shalt Not Share Financial Information

Do not divulge any financial information on the Internet like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and other such information.

Do not believe in any mails that you get, offering you a surprise lottery amount or any such financial reward. If you go ahead with such offers, you are bound to fall for some of the popular Internet scams. Please do not go ahead with any financial transaction on the Internet, before you are sure about the authenticity of the website.

Thou Shalt Avoid Sharing Login Name and Passwords

Under no circumstances should you share your passwords, related to your email accounts and online bank account transactions. Otherwise, if you do, there are chances that your account will get hacked, leading to dangerous consequences.

Thou Shalt Not Download Stuff Without Permission

Children are advised to avoid downloading any stuff on the Internet, without taking permission from their parents and elders.

This is one of the prime rules that children should follow. These programs may contain malicious viruses which may crash your computer system entirely.

Thou Shalt Install Parental Control Filters

One of the important tips for parents is to install a parental control software, or change web browser settings, so that children are protected from obscene and pornographic material that is rampant on the Internet. This is very important for your child's safety and mental health.

Thou Shalt Not Violate Copyrights

Do not download pirated music or movies via Internet.

This will be considered to be a violation of copyrighted material for which you could be prosecuted. Your Internet service provider closely monitors illegal P2P downloads which can be reported to the authorities. So you are advised to be careful.

Thou Shalt Not Misuse Internet Resources

Do not take advantage of the access to personal information that social networking sites like Facebook provide you with. Hacking an email account is a punishable offense and do not indulge in such nefarious activities.

Thou Shalt Get an Antivirus Software Installed

It is very important that you safeguard your PC from the attack of malicious software that may get downloaded from the Internet. See to it that you get an antivirus software that has special Internet security features.

It is recommend that you take these safety warnings quite seriously. People have suffered a lot of mental anguish and even financial loss, due to carelessness while using the Internet. If you follow some of these basic rules while using the Internet, it will certainly be a safe and enjoyable experience for you.